diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 82137aeba7..817d3ad295 100755
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -1501,3 +1501,21 @@ David  4 Feb 2007
 
 	clientgui/
 		ViewWorkGrid.cpp
+
+David  6 Feb 2007
+    - core client: when new version runs for the first time,
+        do a network access to reference site.
+        This will trigger personal firewall alerts,
+        that otherwise might happen later when user is not there.
+
+    client/
+        client_state.C
+
+David  6 Feb 2007
+    - core client: add messages to debug CPU benchmarks
+    - changed name of debug flag from <measurement_debug> to <benchmark_debug>
+
+    client/
+        client_state.C
+        cs_benchmark.C
+        log_flags.C,h
diff --git a/client/client_state.C b/client/client_state.C
index fbf041ef5b..8951504c1a 100644
--- a/client/client_state.C
+++ b/client/client_state.C
@@ -447,16 +447,8 @@ bool CLIENT_STATE::poll_slow_events() {
     }
     tasks_suspended = (suspend_reason != 0);
 
-    // if we're doing CPU benchmarks, don't do much else
-    //
     if (suspend_reason & SUSPEND_REASON_BENCHMARKS) {
         cpu_benchmarks_poll();
-
-        // besides waiting for applications to become suspended
-        //
-        if (active_tasks.is_task_executing()) {
-            POLL_ACTION(active_tasks, active_tasks.poll);
-        }
     }
 
     check_suspend_network(network_suspend_reason);
diff --git a/client/cs_benchmark.C b/client/cs_benchmark.C
index 39d3513307..f8e33a54e6 100644
--- a/client/cs_benchmark.C
+++ b/client/cs_benchmark.C
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@
 #define FP_END      22
 #define INT_START   37
 #define INT_END     57
+#define OVERALL_END 60
 
 #define BM_FP_INIT  0
 #define BM_FP       1
@@ -180,14 +181,15 @@ void CLIENT_STATE::start_cpu_benchmarks() {
     }
 
     if (skip_cpu_benchmarks) {
-        if (log_flags.measurement_debug) {
+        if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
             msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
-                "[measurement_debug] CLIENT_STATE::cpu_benchmarks(): Skipping CPU benchmarks"
+                "[benchmark_debug] start_cpu_benchmarks(): Skipping CPU benchmarks"
             );
         }
 		cpu_benchmarks_set_defaults();
         return;
     }
+    msg_printf(NULL, MSG_INFO, "Running CPU benchmarks");
 
     cpu_benchmarks_pending = false;
 
@@ -199,9 +201,7 @@ void CLIENT_STATE::start_cpu_benchmarks() {
     if (benchmark_descs) {
         free(benchmark_descs);
     }
-    benchmark_descs = (BENCHMARK_DESC*)calloc(
-        ncpus, sizeof(BENCHMARK_DESC)
-    );
+    benchmark_descs = (BENCHMARK_DESC*)calloc(ncpus, sizeof(BENCHMARK_DESC));
     benchmarks_running = true;
 
     for (i=0; i<ncpus; i++) {
@@ -296,12 +296,14 @@ void CLIENT_STATE::abort_cpu_benchmarks() {
     }
 }
 
-// benchmark poll routine.  Called every second
-//
 bool CLIENT_STATE::cpu_benchmarks_poll() {
     int i;
+    static double last_time = 0;
     if (!benchmarks_running) return false;
 
+    if (now < last_time + 1) return false;
+    last_time = now;
+
     active_tasks.send_heartbeats();
 
     // if active tasks don't quit after 10 sec, give up on benchmark
@@ -323,32 +325,57 @@ bool CLIENT_STATE::cpu_benchmarks_poll() {
     switch (bm_state) {
     case BM_FP_INIT:
         if (now - cpu_benchmarks_start > FP_START) {
-            msg_printf(NULL, MSG_INFO, "Running CPU benchmarks");
+            if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
+                msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                    "[benchmark_debug] Starting floating-point benchmark"
+                );
+            }
             make_benchmark_file(BM_TYPE_FP);
             bm_state = BM_FP;
         }
         return false;
     case BM_FP:
         if (now - cpu_benchmarks_start > FP_END) {
+            if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
+                msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                    "[benchmark_debug] Ended floating-point benchmark"
+                );
+            }
             remove_benchmark_file(BM_TYPE_FP);
             bm_state = BM_INT_INIT;
         }
         return false;
     case BM_INT_INIT:
         if (now - cpu_benchmarks_start > INT_START) {
+            if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
+                msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                    "[benchmark_debug] Starting integer benchmark"
+                );
+            }
             make_benchmark_file(BM_TYPE_INT);
             bm_state = BM_INT;
         }
         return false;
     case BM_INT:
         if (now - cpu_benchmarks_start > INT_END) {
+            if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
+                msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                    "[benchmark_debug] Ended integer benchmark"
+                );
+            }
             remove_benchmark_file(BM_TYPE_INT);
             bm_state = BM_SLEEP;
         }
         return false;
     case BM_SLEEP:
-        boinc_sleep(2.0);
-        bm_state = BM_DONE;
+        if (now - cpu_benchmarks_start > OVERALL_END) {
+            if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
+                msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                    "[benchmark_debug] Ended benchmark"
+                );
+            }
+            bm_state = BM_DONE;
+        }
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -371,10 +398,20 @@ bool CLIENT_STATE::cpu_benchmarks_poll() {
             check_benchmark(benchmark_descs[i]);
         }
         if (benchmark_descs[i].done) {
-            ndone ++;
+            if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
+                msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                    "[benchmark_debug] CPU %d has finished", i
+                );
+            }
+            ndone++;
             if (benchmark_descs[i].error) had_error = true;
         }
     }
+    if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
+        msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+            "[benchmark_debug] %d out of %d CPUs done", ndone, ncpus
+        );
+    }
     if (ndone == ncpus) {
         double old_p_fpops = host_info.p_fpops;
         if (had_error) {
@@ -386,6 +423,13 @@ bool CLIENT_STATE::cpu_benchmarks_poll() {
             double p_membw = 0;
             double m_cache = 0;
             for (i=0; i<ncpus; i++) {
+                if (log_flags.benchmark_debug) {
+                    msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                        "[benchmark_debug] CPU %d: fp %f int %f",
+                        i, benchmark_descs[i].host_info.p_fpops,
+                        benchmark_descs[i].host_info.p_iops
+                    );
+                }
                 p_fpops += benchmark_descs[i].host_info.p_fpops;
                 p_iops += benchmark_descs[i].host_info.p_iops;
                 p_membw += benchmark_descs[i].host_info.p_membw;
diff --git a/client/log_flags.C b/client/log_flags.C
index 0f0d8b6531..0122bff120 100644
--- a/client/log_flags.C
+++ b/client/log_flags.C
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ int LOG_FLAGS::parse(XML_PARSER& xp) {
         else if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "proxy_debug", proxy_debug)) continue;
         else if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "time_debug", time_debug)) continue;
         else if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "http_xfer_debug", http_xfer_debug)) continue;
-        else if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "measurement_debug", measurement_debug)) continue;
+        else if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "benchmark_debug", benchmark_debug)) continue;
         else if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "poll_debug", poll_debug)) continue;
         else if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "guirpc_debug", guirpc_debug)) continue;
         else if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "scrsave_debug", scrsave_debug)) continue;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void LOG_FLAGS::show() {
     show_flag(buf, proxy_debug, "proxy_debug");
     show_flag(buf, time_debug, "time_debug");
     show_flag(buf, http_xfer_debug, "http_xfer_debug");
-    show_flag(buf, measurement_debug, "measurement_debug");
+    show_flag(buf, benchmark_debug, "benchmark_debug");
     show_flag(buf, poll_debug, "poll_debug");
     show_flag(buf, guirpc_debug, "guirpc_debug");
     show_flag(buf, scrsave_debug, "scrsave_debug");
diff --git a/client/log_flags.h b/client/log_flags.h
index 0375139955..257e129ccb 100644
--- a/client/log_flags.h
+++ b/client/log_flags.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ struct LOG_FLAGS {
     bool proxy_debug;
     bool time_debug;        // changes in on_frac, active_frac, connected_frac
     bool http_xfer_debug;
-    bool measurement_debug; // host measurement notices
+    bool benchmark_debug;   // debug CPU benchmarks
     bool poll_debug;        // show what polls are responding
     bool guirpc_debug;
     bool scrsave_debug;
diff --git a/doc/client_msgs.php b/doc/client_msgs.php
index f4e6a10fda..b34a889c25 100644
--- a/doc/client_msgs.php
+++ b/doc/client_msgs.php
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ list_item_func("<time_debug>",
 list_item_func("<http_xfer_debug>",
     "Debugging information about network communication"
 );
-list_item_func("<measurement_debug>",
-    "Debugging information about CPU benchmarks, platform, disk space, etc. "
+list_item_func("<benchmark_debug>",
+    "Debugging information about CPU benchmarks"
 );
 list_item_func("<poll_debug>",
     "Show what poll functions do"